PostDoc - Hubrecht Institute - Utrecht

Plant parasitic nematodes pose a major thread to global food security. As part of the infection mechanism, parasitic nematodes induce endoreplication and fusion of host cells to form a feeding site, a structure that is essential for supplying nutrients to the growing nematode. In this collaborative project between the Hubrecht Institute and the group of dr. Jose Lozano at the Department of Nematology of Wageningen University, we will use state of the art functional genomics methods such as spatial transcriptomics and single cell mRNA sequencing to gain mechanistic insight into the initiation and development of feeding sites, with the ultimate aim of identifying critical steps that can be used to block feeding site formation to combat nematode infection.

We are looking for a highly motivated and goal-oriented postdoctoral candidate with expertise in next-generation sequencing approaches, bioinformatics or plant biology, who is fluent in English, and is willing to join a highly innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative project.

Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is €[[salarisMin]] and the maximum salary is €[[salarisMax]] gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 10 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment).

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute focusing on developmental and stem cell biology. At the institute, more than 20 research groups perform fundamental and multidisciplinary research, both in healthy systems and disease models. The Hubrecht Institute is a research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) and is located on the Utrecht Science Park 'De Uithof'. Since 2008, the institute has been affiliated with the University Medical Center Utrecht, advancing the translation of research into clinical practice. The Hubrecht Institute has a partnership with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.